Eenaldo solano



2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

' (No Mode-1.)

R. SOLANO. AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE.

No. 882,887. Patented May 8, 1888.

l MNHN iNvENToH. Y (Z1-@M WITNESSES:

2f@ ATTORNEY.

IL PETERS, PlwNrI-ilhugrupher. Waahlng'lnn. D. C.

` UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE. f

RENALDO SOLANO, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSlGNOR OF 'PWO-THIRDS L TO JOHN W. HOWARD AND DAVID R. MORSE, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC AIR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,667, dated May 8, 1888.` l

y Application tiled November 5, 1887. Serial No. QI'II. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it 11i/ay' concern:

Beit known that I, RENALDO SOLANO, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Air-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in tluid-brake apparatus wherein stored pressure is rendered active upon the braking appliances automatically by the reduction or exhaustion of pressure from the train-pipes, and

the apparatus herein employed corresponds in several of its features to that described in my application for a patent filed August l1, 1887, Serial No. 246,647.

The object sought by the present invention is that of charging the storage-reservoir direct from the-train-pipe through anindependent and positive-acting automatic charging-valve, in lieu of charging through the brake-cylinder valve-actuating piston, as described in the said application, or of charging through any part of the brake-cylinder, eylindervalves,or other mechanism pertaining thereto, as described in various patents heretofore. of charging I embody in the best practicable form the employment of flexible pressure-diaphragms in lieu of pistons for actuatingall of the valves, said pistons involving comparatively expensive construction and liability to bind in their cylinders,rowing to varying differences of expansion between said cylinders and said pistons under varying climatic temperatures.

The invention therefore consists in charging the storage-reservoirs of the several cars of a train through special automatic valves actuated by diaphragms to open uponrestoration of pressure in the train-pipe to the normal (subsequent to brake application) and to close afterthe train-pipe and reservoir pressures become equal or nearly equal, said closurelcontinuing upon reduction of train-pipe pressure upon said diaphragms, as will hereinafter appear.

The invention also comprises an improved construction of the 'exible diaphragms employed herein and adapted for durability.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in

By this methodv which like letters of reference indicate likel parts, Figure lis a plan View, partly in section, of the apparatus located upon eachcar 'composing a train; Fig. 2, an enlarged secusual appliances upon the locomotive. y'

B is yone of the auxiliary or,A storage reservoi rs, controllably communicative to said trainpipe through pipe O by valve D, Fig. 2, (shown in plan view in said Fig. 1,) and controllably from the main reservoir and exhausted by the.. I

communicative to the braking side A of the: brake-cylinder E through pipes Ff by the brake-cylinder valve b, Fig. 3. The releasing side c ofsaid brakecylinder is controllablyl communicative to :the train-pipe A through the pipes G g by the brake-cylinder valve d; The brake-cylinder is alternately exhausted during brake application. or brake release through said brake-cylinder valves d andb,

respectively, into chamber H, opening to the atmosphere throughfperforations h.

In Fig. 3 the valves are shown in the act of effecting brake release, their normal position being that of mid-strol`e,their operation and the function of the check-valve t' and of the the application hereinbel'ore referred to, and

f the same will not therefore require detailed description here.

The levers M are suitably connected to the brakeshoes to apply the latter when the brake piston-rod is forced out of 'the cylinder E.

The diaphragm I of the valve D is permanently exposed on the opening side, as shown,

to the train-pipe pressure and on its opposite or closing side to pressure in reservoir B through the port and chamber r.

The check-valvej of the charging-valve D is provided to insure a prompt severanceof the passage intercepted byv it immediately preceding the termination of theclosing stroke of said valve D upon reduction of train-pipe pressure. The spring k is designed to assist the closing stroke of the valveD and cause ICO of said equalization.

the same to occur slightly in advance of the equalization of pressures in the train-pipe and reservoir B,and consequently in chambers m and n of the diaphragm I', in order that the latter may be properly actuated. It is to be observed that thepipe F may connect at any .part of the reservoir, as by a T-connection to the section of pipe C.

The diaphragmsI I of the valves D, d, and b may be constructed,as `more fully shown by Fig. 4, of an intermediate layer of lflexible pressure-tight material-as rubber-and two protecting layers cemented on either side thereof, or of any strong or heatfresisting material adapted to withstand the wear and tear of usage, as leather.

In the construction of valve-casings represented the diaphragms are clamped pressuretight at their margins between the iianges of the separable casiugs by means of bolts Z, as common in practice.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The train-pipe A, pipe G, diaphragm-chamber m, pipe g, and release side c of the brake-cyl inder are charged to the compressed air or other fluid-working pressure of the main res ervoir through the engincers controllingvalve, (in the usual manner,) the parts assuming the position of active brake release shown by Figs. 1 and 3 until the reservoir B is charged with an equal or nearly equal degree of pressure from the simultaneous ow of train-pipe fluid through pipe and valve C D, said valve D having closed slightly in advance 'Upon approximate equalization of pressures in chambers fm and n by reservoir-pipe F the diaphragm I and valves b d assume their position of mid-stroke by aid of spring L locking all the ports, said springL ceasing to act beyond said position by abutment of the shouldered loose sleeve o on bushing p. The apparatus is now normal and in readiness to set the brakes with al full degree of application or a limited degree, as set forth in the specication cited, namely: For full application the pressure is released from the train-pipe A by the engineers valve, the diaphragm I automatically shifted to the position shown by dotted lines, and there retained by the reservoir-pressure, (in 13,) permitting the latter to enter through the Valve b to the braking side a of the brakecylinder, the opposite chamber, c, whereof discharges its pressure to the atmosphere through valve d.

To set the brakes with a given moderate application,thetrainpipe(A) pressureis reduced to a degree known to correspond with the recauses the return movement of said diaphragm sufficient to close all port communication and lock the brake-piston between the confined pressures within the cylinder-chambers.

It is to be understood that I do not confine myself to the specific form of mechanism herein employed to charge the storage-reservoir independently, and, furthermore, the same may be practiced in connection with any other form of brake-cylinder controlling-valve than that shown herewith.

Therefore I claim- 1. The combination, with an independent reservoir-chargin g valve, located as described, of an actuatingdiaphragm (or equivalent) permanently exposed on one side to the reservoir-pressure and on its opposite side to the trainpipe pressure, and adapted to operate said charging-valve, for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with an independent reservoir-charging valve, located as described,

and valve actuating diaphragm, (or equivalent,) of a closing-spring adapted to close said charging valve slightly in advance of the equalization of the lesser (reservoir) pressure with the predominating exterior (train-pipe) pressure, as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with the herein-described oscillating reservoir-charging valve and valve-actuating diaphragm, of a supplemental check-valve intercepting the communication between said charging-valve and the storage-reservoir, adapted to open toward the latter and to check return of pressure there; from irrespective of said charging valve movements when train -pipe pressure is reduced, as set forth.

RENALDO SOLANO.

Witnesses:

CHAs.,W. FORBES, WM. J. TANNER.

IOO 

